Improvement in knob-latches



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UNITED STATES Prima BCDCLPHUS L. WEBB, OF WEST MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNOB-LATCHES.

Specification forming -part of Letters Patent No. 45,100, dated November 15, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RoDoLPHUs L. WEBB, of Test Meriden, county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knob- Latches; and I do hereby declare that the same is described and represented in the following specification and drawings; and to enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, I will proceed to describe its construction by referring' to the drawings, in which the same letters indicate like parts in each of the iigures.

The nature of this improvement will be clearly seen and understood from the specilication and drawings. It relates particularly to the reversing of the latch, whereby the lock is rendered either right or left hand, as may be desirable, which improvement can be applied to various patterns of locks which have either the sliding or vibrating yoke actuated by the tumbler in the usual way.

Figure l shows the interior of a lock. Fig. 2 shows the lock-plate turned over to one side of thc lock.

All portions ot' this lock are made in the com mon way, except what relates to the latchbolt, and the means by which it is attached and operated by the yoke, when said yoke vi` brates on a pin at one end.

a is a reversible knoblatch, the basil or outer end of which is made a little larger one way than it is the other where it enters the face ofthe plate b, so that when it is pulled forward to be turned it will only enter the said opening in the face-plate again when the face ofthe latch is parallel with the edge of the face-plate. The inner edge of the square portion of the latch is slightly basiled, so as to give it an easy tendency-to reenter the opening in the face-plate when turned nearly to its proper place parallel with the face-plate. The shank portion of the latch is turned or made round, and a short portion thereof just inside of the plate is made about as large as the square of the latch will admit of, for the purpose of steadying it (the latch) in place while the latch is pulled forward and being turned.

c is a collar, made or secured onto the end of the yoke to receive the rear end, a, of the latch-shank, the shoulder of which is held against the collar by means of a spiral spring, e, secured to the spindle in rear of the collar c by a washer pinned or riveted at the end of said spindle.

Now, it will be seen that by the use of this improvement, when it is desirable to change the lock or latch either to aright or left hand, it is only necessary to draw the latch forward and give it a half turn, when it will at once find its proper place in the face-plate.

This improvement may be applied to any lock without any material cha-nge except adding the collar c to the yoke thereof.

I have thus endeavored to show the nature, construction, and advantage of this improvement, which I believe will enable a person skilled to make and use the same.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the latch a, collar c, spring c with the yoke and thimble, all constructed and arranged as described.

BCDOLPHUS L. WEBB.

Witnesses:

R. BLrss, JEREMY W. BLIss. 

